Beethoven lost his hearing due to a virus, not ravages of syphilis

A viral infection and not syphilis or lead poisoning rendered Ludwig van Beethoven deaf, according to new research in a BBC documentary.

The German composer was forced to use an ear trumpet and bite a metal rod on his piano in order to experience music, and contemplated suicide when he began to lose his hearing.

Various theories have suggested his deafness stemmed from sipping wine sweetened with lead, a congenital condition, or the ravages of syphilis.

But working on the BBC season marking 250 years since Beethoven’s death, audiologist Sonja Jones has offered a new retrospective diagnosis based on the Bonn-born genius’ autopsy and private letters.

She believes the master of symphonies suddenly developed hearing loss through a viral or bacterial infection in his late 20s, and contemporary treatments probably made his condition worse.

Ms Jones has suggested that the extremely rare condition, Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss, which can be felt “within seconds”, was the cause of Beethoven’s disability which developed into total deafness before his death in 1827.

While his alcoholism produced other ailments which osbure a perfect diagnosis, Ms Jones’s research presented in Being Beethoven suggests he was the victim of a tragic infection.

“All of a sudden you can sense it,” she said.  “There might be a pop in your ears, or a sudden drop in your hearing, usually that’s in one ear rather than in both.

“There’s a very real feeling of numbness and something in your ear.

“That is fundamentally what began to happen to Beethoven.

“The autopsy is quite clear that there was nerve damage near the auditory nerves.

“I believe this was Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss loss as a consequence of a viral infection or bacterial infection.”

Now the composer would have been rushed to A&E and treated with steroids, but at the time he was given oil to pour in his ear which likely made ear wax “like a sponge”, according to Ms Jones, and made his hearing even worse.

Lead traces found in the Ode to Joy creator’s hair have prompted suggestions his consumption of poisonously sweetened wine could have affected him, and there have been claims he had a genetic illness, or the havoc-wreaking Whipple's disease infection.

This would account for his chronic stomach aches, diarrhea , and early use of a walking stick.

Ms Jones believes that the composer's dependence on alcohol could have resulted in diabetes that may have very gradually impacted his hearing, the sudden onset of the problem points towards a viral issue.

The hard-drinking and possible death by cirrhosis may explain the other physical complaints he suffered before his death at 56.

Ms Jones is set to give her perspective on a new online in-conversation series called The Music Room: Reflecting Beethoven by the BBC Philharmonic and Chief Conductor Omer Meir Wellber.

The first episode will appear on the BBC Philharmonic’s website on Thursday July 16.